WEBVTT OUT TOLAKE MCCLURE TO CATCH A GLIMPSOF THE BURRO AND HIS ANXIOUSHERD.LINDA: THEY'RE CAPTURING THEATTENTION OF BOATERS AT LAKEMCCLURE.>> THEY'RE SCATTERED AROUNLINDA: NOT ONLY ALONG THEPERIMETER OF THE RESERVOIR.>> ONE OF THEM HAD A BABY, SOTHERE WERE SEVEN PLUS A BABYLINDA: WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WILDDONKEYS OR BURROS ON THEHILLSIDES.>> HE SHOULD BE RIGHT AROUNDTHIS LITTLE VALLEY, RIGHT IN THELINDA: THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR,NOW TRAPPED ON ISLAND IN THEMIDDLE OF THE LAKE.>> IT WOULD BE A HECK OF A SWIMFOR THAT DONKEY.LINDA: THAT'S BECAUSE THE DONKEYAPPEARS TO BE INJURED >> IT HAS A RIGHT FRONT LEG THATIS EITHER DEFORMED, OR IT BROKEIT WHEN IT WAS YOUNG AND JUSTLIVES WITH IT.LINDA: RETIRED MERCED POLICEDETECTIVE HARRY MARKARIAN SAYSHE FIRST DISCOVERED THE DONKEYSTRANDED ON THE ISLAND ABOUTTHREE MONTHS AGO.>> THE ONLY REASON IT'S STUCK ONTHAT ISLAND IS BECAUSE WE'VEBEEN THROUGH THAT DROUGHT FOR SOLONG AND IT WASN'T AN ISLAND.WITH THE WATER LEVELS COMING UP,ALL THE OTHER DONKEYS GOT OFFTHE ISLAND OR WHATEVER, BUT THISONE DIDN'T.LINDA: THE REST OF HERD NOWSEPARATED BY ABOUT 200 FEET OFWATER ARE OFTEN HEARD CALLINGOUT TO IT.>> IT'S VERY INTERESTING TOLISTEN TO THEM.WE'VE HAD THE EXPERIENCE OFBEING PARKED ON SHORE AND HADONE OF THEM WALKING BY AT 3:00IN THE MORNING AND THE HORSOUND THEY MAKE, IT WAS JUST, IMEAN, WE BOTH JUMPED OUT OF BED,I MEAN IT'S JUST UNREAL.LINDA: THE MERCED IRRIGATIONDISTRICT TELLS US THEY ARE AWAREOF THE BURRO AND THEY'RE CLOSELYMONITORING THE SITUATION.THE GOOD NEWS IS IT APPEARS TOHAVE PLENTY OF GRASS AND SHADEFOR THE TIME BEING.>> BUT MY CONCERN IS IT'S GOTPLENTY OF FOOD NOW, IT'S A BIGISLAND, BUT ONCE THE SUMMER HITSHERE ALL THAT GRASS WILL BE DEADAND THEN THE DONKEY WON'T GETHIS FEED.LINDA: WHICH IS WHY BOATERS ARENOW BANDING TOGETHER TO FIND AWAY TO SAVE IT.>> IF IT CAN'T SWIM IT'S STUCKTHERE, SO LET'S HOPE THE RANGERSCAN GET TO IT.

Stranded, injured donkey brings community together

Wild burro has been on small California island for months

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Updated: 11:59 AM EDT Apr 26, 2017

MARIPOSA COUNTY, Calif. (KCRA) —

A lone donkey that is trapped on an island is getting a lot of attention in California.

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It's been there for months and the fluctuating water levels are making it difficult for people to reach the island's shore.

Retired Merced police detective Harry Markarian said he first spotted the donkey about three months ago while fishing at Lake McClure in Mariposa County.

"I fish the lake a lot. As you’re going into Temperance Flat Cove, there’s islands on the left hand side," he said. "This donkey is part of a herd that's been at McClure since I can remember. We’re talking maybe 15 to 20 years.

Markarian believes it crossed over what was once a peninsula and became trapped when the water rose during the wet winter season.

"This particular donkey, the only reason it’s stuck on that island is because we’ve been through the drought for so long and it wasn’t an island," Markarian said. "It was all hard ground and with the water levels coming up, all the other donkeys got off the island -- but this one didn’t.”

Part of the problem, he believes, is that the donkey appears to be injured.

Linda Mumma/KCRA

"It has a right front leg that is either deformed or it broke it when it was young and just lives with it," he added.

The donkey or burro, as some refer to it, is able to walk, trot and gallop around the island on his injured leg.

"We’ve seen it the last couple years with the pack," boater Todd Lynch said.

While out on the water with his family about three weeks ago, he said he noticed it was alone on the island while the rest of the herd was grazing on some grass across about 200 feet of water.

"They communicate with each other," Lynch said. "It’s very interesting to listen to them. We’ve had the experience of being parked on shore in our house boat and had one of them walking by at 3 o’clock in the morning and that sound they make -- we both jumped out of bed. I mean, it’s just unreal.”

The Merced Irrigation District, which manages Lake McClure, said it is aware of the burro and is examining all options.

In a statement, spokesperson Mike Jensen wrote, "Among the considerations is the possible risk of stress or further injury to the animal from a relocation."

He said the donkey does not appear to be in any immediate physical harm, so officials are continuing to closely monitor the situation.

"The burro is a wild animal and its injury appears to be an older one," Jensen said. "The animal is mobile, has access to feed, water and shade. Any course of action will be based on what is in the best interest of the animal."

Boaters, on the other hand, are concerned that the burro will remain stranded moving into the spring and summer months.

"It’s got plenty of food now, it’s a big island," Markarian said. "But once the summer hits here, all that grass will be dead and then the donkey won’t get his feed."

Some are now banding together, working with horseman, cattleman and ranchers to figure out a solution.

"I’ve been up here numerous times, twice a week and that donkey is right there every time," Markarian said. "We check on him, talk to him -- and it’s just sad to see him sitting there."

Markarian and others are hoping to find a way to safely remove the wild donkey from the island and reunite it with the rest of the herd, which is waiting on the other side of the water.

"I don’t want them to euthanize it because it’s survived so long with this leg," Markarian said. "If we can just get it to shore, but the only way I can see that is: tranquilizing it and getting some men up here to pick that thing up, put it on a barge and drop it off on the shore."